Grain-binder



(No Model.) 5 sheets-sheet 1.

E.' HAWLEY au o. L. BARRETT.

y GRAINBINDER. No. 442,045. Patented Deo. 2, 1890.

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(No Model.) 5`Sheets-Sheet 2. E. HAWLE'Y 8v; C'. L. BARRETT.

` GRAIN BINDER.

4 No. 442,045.. Patented Dec. 2, 18,790".V

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@mi/Imam@ (No Model.) 5 sheets-sheet 4.

E. HAWLEY 8p' G. L. BARRETT.

GRAIN BINDER.

No. 442,045. Patented Dec. 2, 1890.

(No Model'.) 5 sheets-sheet 5. E. EAWLEY 87; C. L. BARRETT.

GRAIN BINDER. Y Y

VPatented Deo. 2', 1890.4

@www0/awo M @513% atto fa /Zy-m/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDVARD IIA\VLEY AND CHARLES Il. BARRETT, OF AILEGAN, MICHIGAN.

GRAIN-BINDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 442,045, dated December 2, 1890.

Application filed April 9, 1.890.

To all whom, t may concern:

Be itknown that we, EDWARD HAWLEY and CHARLES L. BARRETT, citizens of the United States, residing at Allegan, in the county of Allegan and State ot Michigan, have invented lcertain new and useful Improvements in machine; Fig, a side elevation of the same,

parts being broken away and other parts shown in section for the purpose of better illustration. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section ofthe compressing devices, said section boing taken on a line passing through the axis thereof. Fig. l is a transverse section on the line a", Fig. 1, showing the straw picking and twisting mechanism. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail plan View of the band securing or tucking devices. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of the same; Fig. S, a vertical transverse sectional View of a portion of the machine, showing the rack and the means for elevatingit more clearly; Fig. 9, a front elevation of the same; Figs. 10 and 11, detail views of thegearing employed to rotate the twisting devices; Figs. 12- and 13, views of the band twisting and picking mechanism, which will be fully hereinafter described; Fig. 14, a detail View of the means employed to operate the head-compressor arm; Fig. 15, a similar view of the means for operating the butt-compressor arm; Fig. 16, a detail view of one of the picker-arms.

The object of our invention is to provide certain improvements in that class ot' grainbinding machines in which the bindingsband i employed consists of straw taken from the `bundle being bound and applied thereto as it is formed; and more particularly our object has been to make improvements on the device covered in our Patent No. 419,945 and dated January 21, 1890; and to this end our invention consists in the grain-binding mechanism and the parts thereof constructed and combined as hereinafter specitied.

Our apparatus consists, essentially,of mechanism for receiving the grain after it has been cut, and, when accumulated in a desired Serial No. 347,215. (No model.)

quantity to form the bundle or gavel, transferring it to compressing devices; of mechanism to effect its compression; mechanism for forming the binding-band, passing it around the bundle as said band is formed, and securing it thereto when applied, and mechanism for ejecting the bound bundle, s :ich mechanisms operatin g automaticallyand in order.

Our apparatus may be employed in con junction with any suitable reaping or harvesting machine; but as such machine forms no part of ourinvention and as the construction and operation of our mechanisms can be readily understood without reference to any particular form thereof- We have not shown in the drawings nor shall we describe any such. r

Referring to the drawings, A represents a cradle or rack into which the grain after being cutis delivered, its transportation thereto from the sickles or knives being eiected by any ot the means usually employed for such purposes. Said cradle or rack is constructed of several bars u or, arranged parallel with each other and connected together by two or more straight parallel strips or bars a a', extending transversely at right angles to them. The bars a a, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, each consists of a straight or substantially straight portion a2, which when the parts occupy the position seen in said figure slants atan angle of about twenty-five degrees to a horizontal line, and a curved or hook-shaped portion Into this latter portion the grain, after being delivered at the highest point of the straight portion a2, gravitates and is allowed to collect therein until a quantity suficient to constitute a bundle has been accumulated, packers B B, of usual construction, being employed to facilitate its passage and eiect the proper packing thereof. A bar or shaft C, located above and parallel with said cradle or rack A, serves to support the latter, the extreme outer bars u. c being connected to said bar or shaft by means ot vdownwardly extending arms or bars c. The latter, for a purpose hereinafter set forth, are connected to said shaft, so as to be capable of oscillation thereon.

When the desired quantity of grain has accumulated and been packed in the cradle or rack A, the pressure of such grainupon the ICO longitudinal arm of an L-sbaped trip-lever D, pivoted at d, will, through the operation of suitable clutch mechanism of the usual construction, cause the rotation of the main driving-shaft E, which is journaled to one side of and parallel with the shaft C. Mounted on and rotating with said shaft E is a cam c, which engages with a stud on a reciprocable bar e', that is connected to a short crankarln e2, which in turn is connected by an arm c3, projecting from its hub, to a bar at, extending between and connected to the cradle Y.or rack supporting arms or bars c, as shown most clearly in Figs. S and 9. 'lhe movement of the cam e, being transmit-ted to the crankarm e2, will, through a rocking of the latter, effect a raising of the cradle or rack A and the loose grain contained therein intoposition for the grain to be operated on by the compressing and binding mechanism, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8. During the elevation of said cradle or rack and until its return to its lower normal position the grain coming from the harvesting machinery, which would otherwise be delivered into the space occupied thereby when in such lower position, is held in check by means of several iingers or tines f, which are projected upward Vinto its path the instant that the upward movement of said cradle commences, and which are withdrawn the instant it reaches its lower position again, thus permitting a resumption of the movement of the cut grain into said cradle. To produce this movement of the fingers or tines f, they are mounted upon the extremity of thelong arm of a rocking lever F, pivoted at f and having its short arm F2 engaged by the heel d of the trip-lever D, from which lever the arm of lever F, carrying' the tines f, receives its upward movement, the reverse movement of said tines being caused by gravity. A spri 11g-actuated pawl g, engaging with a notch cl2 in said trip-lever, serves to hold said lever in the position to which it is moved by the straw, and accordingly the fingers or tines in their raised positions, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. S. Said pawl is disengaged and the tines permitted to drop by the tail g of said pawl being struck by aportion of the cradle or rack when it has descended to its lower position. Curved spring-arms 7c suspended from bar or shaft C and extending downward over the path of the loose cut grain serve to retain it in place and direct it into the lower portion of the cradle or rack, while an upwardly-extending curved or overhanging portion t" operates nto guide the grain to the compressing and binding' mechanism when raised thereto by the cradle or rack, as above described. lVhen raised to the proper height, the loose bundle of grain is encircled simultaneously at two points by two sets of compressing devices, the one which we term the head-compressor engaging the bundle approximately at its longitudinal center, and the other, which we term the buttcompressor,77 engaging it at a point intermediate the former and the butt, a space being left between them.

The head-compressor consists of asemi-cylin drical inverted shell I, im movably attached to some part of the frame-work of the machine, and s'emicircular arm l', pivotally connected to one of the lower edges of the partl. Said arm l is caused to encircle the bundle of straw by means of a segment c, attached to it, a rocking'arm K, mounted on the baror shaft C and having gear-teeth 7a2 at one end meshing with said segment i', a crank-arm 7c3, supported on the shaftI C and attached to said arm K, and a reciprocable bar 7a4, having a stud in engagement with a cam e4, mounted on the shaft E, as shown particularly in Fig. let. The butt-compressor likewise consists of the semicircular parts-the one stationary the other movable, and both arranged axially in line with the corresponding parts of the headcompressor. The stationary part consists-of a narrow semicircular piece L, mounted on two forked arms m m, that branchout from a suitably-supported bar or shaft M, which is held in a non-rotative position by set-screws fm. The movable parts consist of the semicircular arm L', secured on one end of ashort shaft j?, mounted on the part L at a point corresponding to the pivotal point of the head-compressor. The otherend of said shaft 7'2 is provided with a segmental pinion j?, which meshes with a segmental gearj, mounted on one end of a hollow shaft M', encircling the fixed shaft M,and Von the other 'end of said shaft M is mounted a crank-arm m2, that is connected by an arm or bar m3 with acam e5, mounted on the shaft E, as shownfmost clearly in Fig. l5, said parts operating to cause a movement of said compressor-arm L simultaneously with a movement of the compressor-arm l', the result being the entire rcmoval of the loose bundle from the cradle or rack A and the requisite degree of compres` sion of such bundle for binding.

The binding operation is performed by the following-described mechanism: Mounted on the hollow shaft M', between the crank-arm and the segment f5, so as to revolve on but independently of it, is a cylindrical sleeve or casting N. Projecting from the end of'the latter, adjoining the segment, is an arm n, which extends radially to a point beyond the periphery ofthe compressor L, where it furnishes gearing for a shaft O,that is arranged parallel with the axis of the compressors, or. of a bundle of grain when contained therein. Said shaft O has such length that one of its ends reaches to a point about in a line with the longitudinal center of a bundle of grain when in the compressors, and its other end to a point somewhat beyond the butt-end thereof. On the former end said shaft carries our twister device. This consists offtwo oppositely-extending spirally-disposed memthat commence and terminate at points diametrically opposite each other. As

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shown, each of said members has several coils terminating where they are secured to the shaft N in semicircular bends o 0. Each of these members O O' consists of two blades o o', secu red to the shaft() at some distance apart and gradually converging until they unite in a sharp point, as o2, which constitutes the outer termination of the spiral, and preferably is sharpened to enable it readily to engage with the straw.

Instead of having the twister device remain stationary with reference to the bundle and causing the bundle to rotate in the operation of forming and applying the band, as in our before-mentioned patent, we now have the bundle remain stationary and cause the twisting device to revolvearound it, for this purpose employing the gearwheel P, mounted and secured on the casting or sleeve N, the gear-wheel P', meshing with the latter, the pinion p, keyed to the same shaft with the gear P andmeshing with the gear-wheel?, the ratchet-wheel P3, for rotating the latter, the pawl p', engaging with said ratchet-wheel, a pitman p2, and the cam e, for imparting motion to the latter, as shown in Fig. 11. `Said mechanism is designed to be so timed as to cause either one or two revolutions of the twister, as may be desired, around the bundle, so as to form and pass around it either a single or double band.

The straw for forming the band is first picked from the surface of the bundle by two reciprocating pickers Q, mounted on a crank shaft q, which has bearings on a semicircular-shaped hood or shield q2, inclosing the upper half of the twister, .and receives its motion from a gear g3, keyed to its end and meshing with a gear o3, mounted on and rotating with the twister-shaft O. The motion of said pickers in. the desired direction is effected by pivotally connecting portions which extend above the crank-shaft q to rods Q5, that in turn are pivotally connected to lugs which project upward from the twister shield or hood q2., At their lower ends said pickers carry needles g5, which, in conjunction with upwardly-'extending portions Q6, provided on the former, operate to engagewith and separate the straw intended for use in the band from the body of the bundle, as shown in Fig. 13, and preferably said needles are made adjustable, so as to permit of variationin the amount of straw picked up. 1When the desired amount of straw has been picked up, the pickers are prevented from taking more by means of a hookshaped arm Q2, (of a shape resembling that of the formen) that is placed between said pickers, and by means of a lever Q3, engaging one end of a rocking arm Qi, and a rod QF is at the proper time forced into contact with the straw of the bundle, thereby preventing its removal by said pickers. This lever Q2 when pressed into contact with the bundle at a point between the pickers presses or crowds the straw back into the bundle a sufficient distance to take it out of reach of the pickers, as shown in full lines in Figs. 4: and 12. A cam c7 on the drive-shaft E, engaging a stud or pin on a reciprocable bar QG, pivotally connected to a crank-arm QT, supported on a shaft C, effects such movements through the medium of lever Q3 of the arm Q2,while a spiral spring Qscauses a reverse movement thereof and holds said arm Q2 normally away from the bundle to prevent interference with the pickers, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 12. The straw after being by the picker devices thus preliminarily raised or picked from the surface of the bundle is engaged by the points o2 of the twister, as shown in Fig. 13. Each member O engagesa portion sonas to form a strand, and by reason of its divergent shape drawsthe straw from the butt-,end of the bundle (the butt-compressor for this purpose being made larger in diameter than the head-compressor, so as to encircle the bundle less tightly than the latter) until the length requisite has been obtained, and, before the strand reaches the semicircular bends 0 0 and the twisting of the two strands commences, carries it into contact with a rela tively-stationary cutter or knife R, secured to the shaft-bearing adjacent to the end of the twister nearest the gear O3, which operates with the edges of the members O O as shears to sever said strands, after which, being carried into the bends o o, theyare twisted together, as shown in Fig. 13.

The advantage accruing from drawing the straw from the butt to form the strand :is that a strand longer than the space between the compressors is obtained, and therefore there is less waste of straw.

The edges of the members O O are preferably made sharp, so as to cut their way through twisted straw, thus insuring a clean strand for the band, and also preventing straw from winding upon the twister.

If desired, the straw-picking devicemay be omitted and the twister arranged to take the straw directly from the bundle, in which event of course it would be disposed closer to the bundle than when used with the pickers; but we prefer to use the latter, as a more even and uniform band can be made than without them, and instead of forming a double bandaround the bundle, by passing the twister twice around it two twister devices may be simultaneously employed, so as to form two bands by one revolut-ion around the bundle.

Rotation of the twister on its axis may be effected either by meshing a pinion 04011 the end of twister-shaft O with a gear-wheel N and maintaining the latter in a stationary position 4during the revolution of the twister around the bundle, so as to constitute a sunand-planet gear, or, if au increased rotation of the twister is desired, by rotating the gearwheel N through the agency of a gear-wheel N2, arranged to revolve therewith, a pinion N3, a second pinion N4, keyed to the same shaft IOO IOS

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with pinion N3 and meshing with a gearwheel N5, a ratchet-wheel N, varranged to rotate with the latter, a pawl N7,engaging`with said ratchet-wheel to effect its rotation, a pitman N8, connecting the latter to a crank N, mounted on the shaft or bar C, a reciprocable bar N10, attached to said crank, and acam e8, rotating with the shaft E, as shown in Fig. l0. As shown, the crank Nilis provided with a number of perforatons, so as to permit of a change in the throw of the pawl N7 when desired.

To prevent any rotation or tendency to rotationrof the bundle of straw within the compressors during the operation of forming and applying the band, the internal peripheries of said compressors are corrugated or roughened by means of pointed projections, as shown.

To secure the band in place after its formation and application to the bundle, we use the following mechanism: Mounted on the top of a vertical shaft supported in bearings located on the upper side of the shell I of the headcompressor is a mutilated bevel gear-wheel S, that has formed on or attached to it a radial arm s. Extending` downward from the latter is an arm S', whose lower end is formed into a U-shaped hook s2. Said hook is adapted at the proper time, b'y the rotation -of the bevelgear S, to engage with the end of the bindingband, remove the same from the twisting device, and pass it across that portion of the f band encircling the bundle, as shown in Fig. 7,

into position to be engaged by the hooked end t of a reciprocating arm T, moving insuitable guides U, provided on the upper side of the shell I, which arm T engages with the band end and, through the agency of a stud t and a camway U', carries said end down below the lower surface of the band, the bundle having been depressed at such point for the purpose by an ofset i3, (see Fig. 2,) formed on the compresser-section I, and then tucks it un'lerthe band and into the straw. To effect such movements of the er-bar T, it is connected to a reciprocating bar T', which in turn is' connected to a crank t2, mounted on a short shaft or gudgeon t* and having teeth adapted to mesh with bevel gear-teeth t5 on the under side of the radial arm s. As will be observed, the end ofthe band is removed from the end ofthe twister by the hook s2 and carried across the laid'band into the jaw t, which automatically forces it under the laid band from 'the side nearer-the head of the bundle. Motion is imparted to the gear S from a mutilated gear V, driven from the cam e, mounted on the shaft E, and a reciprocating bar IV, this bar WV being held in engagement with cam e by a pivotally-connected supporting-'arm lV', mounted loosely on the shaft C. After the end of the band is secured as above explained the compressorarms l and L are automatically opened by the mechanism hereinbefore described, a nd the bound bundle ejected from the machine by means of a radial arm it, at-

tached to and moving with said compressor I. The bundle on'b'eing thus ejected falls upon the convex sides of the hook-shaped portions of the cradle or rack A, which thus serve as guides to direct it in its exit from the machine, such portions, as shown by the drawings, having a situation relative to the bundle holding and compressing devices for this purpose. It is to be observed that, as in our formerly-patented device, the straw for the band is removed from the butt-end of the sheaf 0r bnndle, the heads thereof not being affected at all, and, further, that thepeculiar constructionof the twister and the picker devices effectually comb out or separate the straw used in forming the strandsl of the binding-band, in this being aided by the corrugations or projections I provided on the compressor-section I.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of a binding mechanism, ka straw-receiving rack located below the same and consisting of curved tines connected together, mechanism for elevating saidl rack to the binding mechanism, consisting of a bar or shaft C, located above the rack, depending arms c c, pivoted on the shaft Gand attached at their lower ends to the rack and connected by a cross-bar a4, an arm e2, pivoted on said shaft C and connected to said cross-bar a4, a shaft E, carrying a cam e, a link e', provided with a stud engaging said cam c and connected to arm e2, and a pair of stationary compressor-sections I and L, pivoted compressor-arms I L', provided with toothed segments, and means for operating these arms, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2.' In a grain-binder, in combination with a straw-receiving and elevating mechanism, straw-checking fingers or tines, a lever interposed bet-ween the latter and said mechanism t0 raise said fingers or tines, and a lockingpawl engaging said lever, substantially as shown. Y

3. The combination, with a bundle holding and compressing device, two separated immovable semicircula-r sections and two similarly-shaped movable sections hinged to lthe devices simultaneously, as and for the purposedescribed.

t. The combination of two separated bundle-compressors L and I, two depending pivoted compressing-sections I L', gearing for operating these hinged sections, a shaft- M for supporting the section L, a sleeve on-this Ishaft and provided with4 a radial arm n, gearing for rotating this sleeve and arm, a shaft IKCO IlO

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o, journaled upon the arm In and carrying twisting devices, and gearing for rotating this latter shaft, substantially as described.

5. rlhe combination, with a rotating twisting device, oi' a device for picking the straw from the bundle, consisting of a pairof curved arms pivoted on a crank-shaft and provided with hooks at their ends to engage and carry the straw to the twisting` device, and means for rotating the said crank-shaft, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. The combination, with a pair of pickers Q Q and means for operating them, of an arm Q2, pivoted between the pickers, and mechanism for automatically operating this arm, whereby the straw in under the pickers is depressed and kept out of engagement therewith, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with a twister-shaft, ot a twisting device carried bythe shaft, said twisting device consisting of two oppositelydisposed spiral members coiled one or more times around the shaft, each of said members being constructed of two blades converging to a point and connected at their outer ends and secured to the shaft at their inner ends, substantially as and for the purpose described.

S. The combination, with a band-twister constructed of two oppositely-arranged spiral members secured to a shaft, of a cutter situated relatively stationary to the said shaft and adapted to cooperate with the edges of the said spiral members to sever the strands of the band, substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. In a grain-binder, in combination with the band forming and applying mechanism,

the tncking mechanism consisting of a bevelgcar carrying a radial arm, a band-engaging hook carried by the latter, a reciprocating hook, a reciprocating bar connected thereto, a crank connected to the latter, and means for rocking said crank, substantially as set forth.

lO. The combina-tion of acurved stationary compressorsection and a curved compressor.- arm pivoted thereto and provided with an extension or arm i4, projecting into the said stationary compressor-section and adapted to eject the bundle when the pivoted arm is opened,substantially as described.

l1. The combination of a straw receiving and elevating rack constructed of curved tines or bars, an upright lever D, arranged in the curved part ot the rack and lpivoted below' the same, this lever being provided with a toe d', and-a lever F, pivoted below the lever D and `provided with an extension F2, adapted to engage the said toe d', this lever F being provided with upwardly-extending tines adapted to be projected up in the path of the loose grain while the elevating-rack is raised, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof we affix our sign at u res in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD HAWLEY. (EI-IAS. L. BARRETT. Witnesses:

WILL C. WALTER, J. G. STEIN. 

